Live your life

Finding happiness within oneself is both difficult and easy. When on a journey to find happiness and contentment, one of the first things you must discover or rediscover is what exactly it is that makes you happy. Maybe you enjoy outdoor activities or reading a book or dancing. The world is full of an infinite amount of activities that can drive us, give us energy, bring us laughter, and, ultimately, bring us true happiness. I want you to think of something that makes you happy. It could be an activity or just spending time with someone special. Can you identify a few of these?  Great! Now I want you to ask yourself a few questions. When is the last time you engaged in an activity that makes you happy? Are you satisfied with the amount of time you spend doing what makes you happy or can it be increased?

In our world where technology and information is king, it is easy to succumb to information overload, Emails, phone calls, texts, news articles, television, and social media are always near. It can feel difficult if not impossible to unplug. You don’t have to unplug from everything to connect to the things in your life that make you happy, but you do have to find the right balance.

Living a happier healthier life can start by focusing on things you can control:

YOUR TIME:
As much as you may feel that your time is not your own, you can always make time for what is important to you. Make your happiness and peace a priority. Schedule a time, at least once per week, where you have a “meeting” with an activity that makes you happy.

SET BOUNDARIES
This ties into your time. Make sure people know when it is okay to contact you and when it is not. Make sure people understand you don’t need that phone call at 9:00 P.M about a topic that could have been easily discussed the next morning or sent in an email.

SET GOALS:
Personal goals and accomplishments are just as important as professional goals and accomplishments. When setting goals, make sure you are setting SMART (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, and Timely) goals. Setting SMART goals is something that we usually apply to business models, but it can also be used in everyday life. For example: did you decide to lose weight?  How much weight do you want to lose: 10 pounds or 50 pounds? Be specific. Set a goal that is challenging but attainable. Have a start and end date, and milestones between those dates to track your progress.